Piecing Through Our Past
by bibleboymary4ever
Summary: Eight years after the season two finale, and everyone's scattered. Brooke Davis is living it up in Hollywood, Lucas Scott is dwelling on the past back in Tree Hill, and Peyton Sawyer...well, where exactly is Peyton Sawyer?
1. Chapter 1

**Piecing Through Our Past **by **Joan**

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry but this story will definately be confusing at first. Feel free to ask me questions, but I promise everything will come out by the end. Reviews are always appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** Ari Gold, One Tree Hill...all not mine.

** Chapter One:**

Brooke casually strolled into the conference room where her agent, manager and publicist had been waiting for forty-five minutes. "Hey y'all!" She said as she sat down in one of the office chairs. She rolled her chair around the room like she was still a little kid. "So what did you need to see me for?"

Her manager exchanged a worried look with Ari Gold, who had been Brooke's agent for a few years now. He had only just been able to actually get her a job, and he wasn't about to let all that work go to waste. Ari wanted his client to have a thriving career, and he was obviously frustrated with her attitude: "Look, Brooke, we needed to see you in here forty-five minutes ago! This is your motherfucking career on the line."

Brooke frowned. As far as she knew, she had a thriving social life, a full bank account courtesy of mom and dad, and her first real movie had just finished production. "Well, sorry, I needed my beauty rest and then I got stuck in major traffic. I mean, I have lived out here for eight years and I will never love sitting in my car, but--what are you talking about?"

Her publicist reached into her purse and pulled out a stack of tabloids, all of which Brooke was on the cover of. She placed them on the table in front of Brooke, who started to look at them. "This is what we're talking about, honey."

"Oh," Brooke gasped as she read one of the articles. "But this stuff isn't true! You guys know I don't drink anymore."

"Seriously?" Ari asked. "Because this is not the time to lie to us. If you need to go back to rehab—"

"I don't!" Brooke insisted loudly. "I was at that party for like a minute before I decided it was way lame. All I drank was a diet coke! But see in the pictures? You can't tell what I was drinking, just that I had a glass in my hand."

"Okay, okay." Ari said as he paced around the room. "But Brooke! This is your first feature film. And how many Americans are going to buy Brooke Davis as Juliet Capulet when she's out partying every night? It's just not very Shakesperaen!"

Brooke was silently fuming. She had spent a long time working very hard on the film, and she was very proud of it. It had taken a lot for Brooke Davis to prove herself to the director. "So what? You want me to change my image a little bit?"

"Brooke," Ari sighed. "We think you need to take a stage name."


	2. Chapter 2

Lucas Scott lived a quiet existence in Tree Hill, North Carolina. A life-threatening heart disease prevented him from doing what he loved: playing basketball.

When he was sixteen, he had been so sure of himself. He was the star of the Tree Hill High School varsity basketball team and he had been glad to finally call himself friends with his half-brother, Nathan. Perks had come with being a basketball star, of course. The biggest of these perks had been the attention of Brooke Davis.

As soon as he found her naked in his car, he had been smitten.

But Lucas had to shake away his thoughts as he continued to shelve books. A teenage girl with blonde hair was intuerupting his trip down memory line.

"Hellllo?" She snapped her gum impatiently. "You ARE the bookstore owner, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah." Lucas turned to face her, a book in hand. "This is Lucas's Library, and I'm Lucas."

"Riight." The girl rolled her eyes. She didn't care who he was, as long as he could tell her where the book she wanted was. "Well can you tell me where John Steinbeck's books are? I'm supposed to read The Winter of Our Discontent for school, and I don't see it."

Lucas's eyes widened at the title. He liked to think that that book had brought him and Brooke Davis together. But that was ridiculous. She had left for California eight years ago and never came back. "It's over here," he said as he guided the girl towards a copy.

Across the street, Karen Roe was wiping down a table. The breakfast rush had just ended, and her last customer was trickling out. "Bye sweetie," Karen called after them as they shut the door. The little bell over the door tinkled.

Karen walked towards the back, where she flipped on her little television. Karen leaned against the wall as the excited squeals of Kelly Ripa filled the air.

"And, now, our next guest is Peyton Sawyer from the upcoming Romeo & Juliet!"

Karen gasped for breath as she heard the name.


End file.
